Shutdown: Here's what Minnesota would miss

If state government shuts down July 1, as appears increasingly likely, ordinary Minnesotans would feel the effects in ways big and small.

It would put a temporary halt to a lot of fun things.

State parks would close. There's a chance Canterbury Park and Running Aces horse racing tracks would shut their gates. You couldn't buy a state lottery ticket. The Minnesota Zoo might close.

A shutdown also would have significant impacts on health, education and other vital services across the state.

Hospitals and nursing homes might not get paid for treating patients on the state-subsidized Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs. Cities, counties and school districts could lose their state aid.

Job-training programs would close. Teachers wouldn't be able to renew their licenses. Kids turning 16 couldn't get driver's licenses.

Most of the impacts of a shutdown would be felt immediately, while some would depend on how long it might drag on.

Hardest hit would be the nearly 36,000 employees who work in the executive branch of state government. Last week, Gov. Mark Dayton asked a court to keep more than 13,000 of them on the job to perform "critical services," but those not on his list would likely be laid off indefinitely with no guarantee they would recover any pay when government agencies reopen.

A court would decide which critical services would continue, but if two-thirds of the state's workforce were furloughed, a lot of services Minnesotans depend on would go with them.

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Their fate is in the hands of Dayton and the Republican majorities in the Legislature who are deadlocked over how to plug a $5 billion hole in the state's next two-year budget. The DFL governor wants to increase income taxes by $1.8 billion on the wealthiest 2 percent of taxpayers to avoid what he calls "catastrophic" budget cuts, while Republicans insist they won't spend "a penny more" than the $34 billion the state expects to collect over the next two years. The current budget expires June 30.

State officials say it's too early to tell exactly what programs and services would be affected by a shutdown. That would be up to the court.

But Dayton's recommendations offer clues about what's likely to occur.

For instance, the governor did not list as "critical" state payments to hospitals, nursing homes and school districts. That's where the big bucks go.

Of the $3.6 billion the state spent last July, $1.4 billion went for medical, rehabilitation and related services, according to Minnesota Management and Budget.

Cities, counties and townships received $640 million in aid payments, while an additional $570 million went to school districts. The state paid its employees $300 million.

Hospitals and nursing homes could argue in court that health care for the elderly, the disabled and low-income families is critical, prompting a judge to order the state to pay health care providers.

Here's a look at some programs and services not deemed "critical" in the governor's court filing and how they might be affected by a shutdown:

HIGHWAYS

The Department of Transportation has scheduled 258 state highway construction projects this season, and work on those under way would come to a halt in a shutdown. Highway rest areas would close, bridges and pavement wouldn't be repaired, traffic-management cameras and ramp meters would be turned off and incident first-responders, better known as "highway helpers," wouldn't be helping troubled motorists.

K-12 EDUCATION

School districts with money in the bank could continue operating, but nearly 11,000 teachers with expiring standard teaching licenses and 2,400 more with limited licenses could not renew them. The state Education Department, which would close in a shutdown, advises teachers to apply for or renew their licenses before July 1.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities would remain open at least temporarily. If there's a prolonged shutdown, the 80,000 students who are scheduled to receive state grants next fall would not get them on time.

JOB TRAINING

The state's 50 Workforce Centers could close, and the state probably would stop issuing job-training grants during a shutdown.

STATE PARKS

The 67 state parks and seven recreation areas would close. People with reservations are being urged to keep them. But if a shutdown were in place during those dates, any prepayments and reservation fees would be refunded.

ELECTRONIC LICENSING

Hunting, fishing and trapping licenses, as well as boat, all-terrain vehicle, off-highway motorcycle and other recreational vehicle registrations, would be suspended. Anyone needing those licenses or registrations should consider getting them before July 1.

DRIVER'S LICENSES

The Driver and Vehicle Services agency that tests drivers and issues licenses would be closed during a shutdown.

MINNESOTA ZOO

Zoo officials hope to persuade the court to keep the facility open, contending they can finance it with admission revenue.

TAXES

The Revenue Department would keep a skeleton crew - 40 of its 1,400 employees - on the job to collect taxes, but it wouldn't send taxpayer refunds, including about $90 million scheduled to be paid to 70,000 renters next month. The department estimates the state would lose $52 million a month because collection efforts would halt.

HEALTH INSPECTIONS

Health officials would only respond to serious complaints about health care facilities, conduct infrequent restaurant inspections and offer only a limited response to disease outbreaks.

HEALTH HAZARDS

Health officials would not respond to environmental health hazards involving mold, asbestos, lead or indoor air.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Victims of discrimination could not file complaints with the Human Rights Department, and investigations the agency has already started would be delayed.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Commerce Department would temporarily stop responding to consumer complaints, exams of banks and other financial institutions would be discontinued, and enforcement actions would be delayed. Any bank, insurance company or energy utility transactions requiring the department's approval would have to be postponed.

But the agency's consumer response team would react to natural disasters or emergencies, such as a tornado or bank failure.

HORSE RACING

The fate of the ponies is up in the air. If the state Racing Commission shuts down, so would racing and the card rooms at Canterbury Park and Running Aces. The tracks can't operate without the state stewards, judges and veterinarians that oversee them. But the commission is completely funded with license fees, and since there's no state general fund money involved, a court could decide to let the commission and the tracks stay open.

More than 3,000 nonprofit organizations have received state grants for a wide range of services. Some, such as domestic-violence centers, provide critical health and safety services and would likely continue to be funded, said Jon Pratt, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Others, such as group homes for vulnerable people who need close supervision, fall into a gray area and may have to petition the court for funding.

SECRETARY OF STATE SERVICES

Entrepreneurs seeking to start a new business could not register properly. Parents trying to adopt a baby from abroad could not get required documents. Voters couldn't register to vote or request an absentee ballot from the office during a shutdown. Farmers seeking crop or livestock loans would lose access to the office's central notification service.